


Promises Kept

by WeShadows



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: But they don't have a large part, Gen, The guests of the Slayer's Take arc are mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-05
Updated: 2015-12-05
Packaged: 2018-05-05 00:22:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5353862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WeShadows/pseuds/WeShadows
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Vax'ildan promised Kainan that when he returned, he would teach him to fight.  When Kainan returns to find Vox Machina missing and in disgrace he doesn't know what to think, so he goes looking for the truth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Promises Kept

**Author's Note:**

> This isn't exactly a continuation of my previous fic [Endings](http://archiveofourown.org/works/5342711) and both can stand alone, but if you wanted to read them as being part of the same story you most certainly can!

The last thing Kainan had expected when he returned to Emon was to find that Vox Machina was disgraced and had fled the city after attacking guests of the sovereign. That was the story at least, though Kainan had known in his heart that there had to be more to the story. The woman who told him the story, an elven shop clerk who'd stopped him when he mentioned his intention to visit Vox Machina, seemed to agree. As Sherri finished explaining the situation to the best of her ability Kainan's attention was momentarily drawn by a swirl of purple fabric in the corner of his vision and the rattle of beads, when he turned his head the proprietor of the shop had disappeared. Sherri smiled sadly and leaned over the counter to whisper. “They came here often whenever they were in Emon. Vex'ahlia never met a price she wouldn't try to haggle. Gilmore was close to them, especially Vax'ildan. He hasn't been the same since they disappeared.”

Kainan kept his voice low, matching her whisper. “Where do you think they went?”

Sherri glanced around anxiously, and dropped her voice even further. “The Briarwoods came here from Whitestone. If Vox Machina left, they must have had a good reason. And since they haven't come back… we're afraid something awful must have happened to them.”

“Do you think they went to Whitestone?”

“It's possible. They may have been trying to prove something about the Briarwoods, there must have been a reason they attacked them. That's what we think, anyway.”

“Then that's where I'll go. I need to find out what happened to them.”

“Be careful.” Sherri glanced around for a moment, then slid a vial across the counter to him. He glanced at it as he slid it into his pouch, it looked like a healing potion. “Whatever happened to them, it can't have been good. Come back and tell us what happened. There's people here who need to know.”

“I will. Thank you, Sherri.” He glanced at the beaded curtain over the doorway behind the counter as he left, but Gilmore did not reappear.

 

His next stop had been Greyskull Keep. He remembered the last time he had been there, camping for days as he waited for them to return from their latest adventure. It hadn't been so long ago but looking back he realized that he'd been so young then, he'd understood so little. It was really no wonder that Vax'ildan had reacted as he did. Now though the keep stood cold and empty, unguarded. It took him some time to find his way inside, eventually managing to work a back window open that he could climb through. He found himself in the kitchen and he slowly made his way through each room, finding nothing but a layer of dust on the furniture. It looked like no one had been inside since Vox Machina left, and Kainan couldn't help but wonder what had happened to the kind cook and the guards who had patrolled the wall. He hesitated before making his way up the stairs, it still felt like an invasion of privacy as he stepped into the hallway lined with doors that must lead to Vox Machina's private rooms. He peeked into a few anyway, finding them just as their owners had left them, and paused when he came to a room that undoubtedly belonged to Vax'ildan.

He couldn't keep himself from stepping into a room. Vax had promised that he would train Kainan himself if he returned stronger. He had, but Vax was gone. He hadn't meant to touch anything, but the small box left on the desk seemed out of place despite being covered in the same layer of dust as the rest of the room. As if it had been set down and left there, but didn't really belong. Kainan stared at the box for a moment before stepping forward and carefully lifting the lid with his fingertips. Inside, gleaming in the light from the window, were three beautifully crafted daggers. Vax's preferred weapons, but these were not his. Vax had promised to train him. He only hesitated a moment longer before fastening the daggers to his belt and closing the box, leaving some of the dust disturbed. He left quickly without exploring the lowest level, promising himself that he would return the daggers to where he had found them once he had learned the truth of what had happened to Vox Machina.

Sherri had told him that the Briarwoods had come to Emon from Whitestone, so towards Whitestone he went. Along the way he encountered a woman traveling alone and the two of them traveled together until they reached the next town. As they shared a meal in the tavern there he told her about Vox Machina and his mission to Whitestone, he was confused when she went very still. “You know Vox Machina?” Kainan stared, her accent had suddenly changed and even the way she held herself was different. He nodded and explained his first meeting with them a year ago, an Vax's promise.

“All I want is to know what happened to them. There must have been a reason that they never came back.”

“I have rented a room. Come upstairs with me, we must talk.” She pushed her plate aside and walked toward the stairs, Kainan quickly followed.

When she had lead him into her room and the door was firmly closed, she looked him in the eye and her illusion dropped. Kainan nearly jumped out of his skin at the sight of the white Tiefling but he managed to silence startled sound that tried to escape his throat. “My name is Lillith,” she said. “I am… acquainted with Vox Machina. They helped me, once. I was with them when they fought against the Briarwoods. Please, sit down and I will tell you what happened that night.” Kainan took a seat on the edge of the bed when she waved toward it and listened avidly as Lillith told the story of that night.

“I have not seen them since,” she said as she finished. “My cousin Zhara met a part of Vox Machina in Vasselheim, she has written to me to tell me that their friend Pike was found lifeless in a temple that she was restoring. She and a few others that worked with Vox Machina are coming here to learn what happened. I have feared that the Briarwoods were behind this, but with what you have told me I now am certain that this is true.”

“I want to come with you. I need to know what happened to them, and there are people in Emon that I promised to tell.”

“They are very dangerous. Are you prepared to take the risk?”

“Yes.” He hoped in a corner of his mind that Vax'ildan would approve.

“Then you will come with us. Zahara and the others will arrive here tomorrow. When they have joined us, we leave for Whitestone.”

 

The group arrived at the tavern the next morning. Another Tiefling that was undoubtedly Lillith's cousin and a surly cleric who didn't wear his holy symbol anywhere that Kainan could see. A dour looking dwarf and an awkward young woman in glasses who managed to knock over a chair before even introducing herself to Kainan. With Zahara, Kashaw, Thorbir and Lyra they set off, making their way toward Whitestone.

There was little left of the town when they arrived. There had obviously been battle, bodies lay strewn through the streets, some wearing the rough clothes of poor townspeople, others the livery of guards. The rotting corpses of half a dozen giants lay mouldering around the town and in the center square stood a dead tree with old ropes hanging from the branches. Finding no one left in town alive they could only hope that survivors had fled as they turned their attention to the castle.

The doors of the castle stood open, and the group drew their weapons as they made their way up the stairs and inside. At first glance it seemed as empty as the town had been, but at the top of the stairs inside another set of doors stood open and a light glowed within. They went towards it and stopped just outside the doors. Inside stood three people. Two were seated, a man and woman with dignified features and aristocratic clothing. Kainan assumed they must be Lord and Lady Briarwood. Behind them stood a familiar figure, cloaked, his hands clasped behind his back. Kainan's hand tightened on his sword and with his other hand he drew one of the daggers from Greyskull Keep.

It might have been easier, Kainan thought to himself, if there was no recognition in Vax'ildan's pale face as he looked at the assembled group, but there was. He knew them, and his slow smile was as cruel and pointed as his daggers as he stepped forward.


End file.
